Such archaeological finds give us a complex and unprecedented glimpse into human history. Curious about what scientists have uncovered? Just scroll down for 14 eye-popping artifacts that made 2015 a fascinating year for archaeologists.

Marcello Canuto (left), director of Tulane University's Middle American Research Institute, and Luke Auld-Thomas, happened upon a previously undiscovered but well-preserved Mayan stone monument while exploring in Guatemala.

Flemming Kaul/The National Museum of Denmark

Archaeologists discovered a trove of 2,000 delicate gold spirals in the town of Boeslunde, on the Danish island of Zealand. The spirals are 3,000 years old.

West Turkana Archaeological Project

Archaeologists working in northwestern Kenya unearthed the world's oldest stone tools yet, dating back 3.3 million years. The artifacts push back the archaeological record of tool technology by 700,000 years.

Archaeologists unearthed pottery shards, including this piece of a bowl dating back to 3,500 B.C., in Tel Aviv, Israel. The discoveries suggest that the city was once home to an ancient Egyptian brewery.

Gold coins were found in the seabed in the Mediterranean Sea near the port of Caesarea National Park in Caesarea, Israel. The medieval gold coins date back to the 11th century.

North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

Archaeologists excavating pirate Blackbeard's sunken ship, named Queen Anne's Revenge, unearthed various medical devices from the wreckage, such as an urethral syringe used to treat syphilis. The items date back to 1718.